Overview
Exit: The Game – The Mysterious Museum is a cooperative puzzle/escape-room game. On the last day of your Florence vacation, a strangely-clad man hands you a marble disk, a museum brochure, and mumbles about the “treasure of the Santa Maria.” You enter the museum only to have the door slam shut behind you. Solve the riddles of the museum to escape or become part of its permanent collection. This is a one-time-play game.
Difficulty level: Beginner (suitable for ages 10+)
Components
- 1 Decoder disk
- 85 Cards:
- 25 Riddle Cards
- 30 Answer Cards
- 30 Help Cards
- 2 Strange items
- 1 Book
- 1 Rulebook
Additional required materials (not included): Pens/pencils/eraser, paper, stopwatch/watch (or Kosmos Helper App timer), scissors (optional but helpful).
Setup
- Place the book and decoder disk on the table.
- Leave the two strange items in the box.
- Sort cards into three face-down piles: Riddle Cards, Answer Cards, Help Cards.
- Arrange Riddle Cards and Answer Cards in ascending order.
- Sort Help Cards by symbol; stack with “1st CLUE” on top, then “2nd CLUE,” then “SOLUTION.”
- Do NOT look at the front of any card until instructed.
Turn Structure
No individual turns. All players collaborate simultaneously in real time:
- Explore — Examine the book and revealed Riddle Cards.
- Discover — Pull referenced Riddle Cards when found in illustrations or text.
- Solve — Enter three-digit codes on the decoder disk.
- Verify — Check Answer Card indicated in the viewing window.
- Progress or Retry — Follow instructions or keep working.
Actions
Solving a Riddle
- Find locked objects marked with symbols in the book or on Riddle Cards.
- Deduce the three-digit code logically.
- Enter the code on the decoder disk under the matching symbol.
- Pull the Answer Card number shown in the viewing window.
Using Help Cards
Three Help Cards per riddle symbol:
- 1st Clue — Lists required Riddle Cards and gives initial hint.
- 2nd Clue — More concrete guidance.
- Solution — Reveals the answer.
Manipulating Materials
Writing on, folding, tearing, or cutting materials is allowed and sometimes required.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
The game ends when the final riddle is solved and you escape the museum.
| Time |
0 Help Cards |
1-2 |
3-5 |
6-10 |
>10 |
| < 60 min |
10 stars |
8 stars |
— |
— |
— |
| < 90 min |
9 stars |
6 stars |
3 stars |
— |
— |
| < 120 min |
8 stars |
6 stars |
3 stars |
2 stars |
— |
| > 120 min |
— |
2 stars |
— |
1 star |
— |
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- One-time play: Materials are permanently altered.
- Logical solutions only: Do not brute-force the decoder disk.
- Always return Answer Cards to the pile after checking.
- Progressive discovery: Some riddles need cards not yet revealed.
- You must find an object before opening it.
- Lower age threshold: This game is rated ages 10+ (vs. 12+ for most Exit games).
Player Reference
| Item |
Details |
| Players |
1-4 |
| Age |
10+ |
| Difficulty |
Beginner |
| Code format |
Three-digit code |
| Help Cards per riddle |
3 |
| Required extras |
Pen, paper, stopwatch, scissors (optional) |